Preserved Lemons

What You Need

Ingredients
8 to 10 lemons (I used Meyer, but you can use any regular lemon)
Kosher salt

Equipment
1 quart-sized wide mouth jar with lid

Instructions

1. Sterilize the jar in boiling water for 15 minutes.

2. Scrub the lemons under running water with a stiff brush to remove any dirt and impurities.

3. Slice off the stem end and the tip end of each lemon. Starting at one end, cut the lemons in half lengthwise, but stop about 1/2 an inch before you reach the bottom. Repeat the cut perpendicularly so you have cut each lemon lengthwise in a "X" formation, but not all the way through; they should still be attached at the bottom, about 1/2 an inch.

4. Liberally sprinkle salt on the inside and outside of the lemons. Hold them open with your fingers and really get the salt inside them.

5. Add about 2 tablespoons of salt to the bottom of the sterilized jar. Place each lemon in the jar, pushing down on them and squeezing them to release the juices. Fill the jar but leave about 3/4 an inch of headroom. The lemons should be completely submerged in juice. If you can't get enough juice out of them, remove a lemon wedge or juice a lemon and add it to the jar. Add 2 more tablespoons of salt to the top. Seal the jar.

6. Let the jar sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Each day, turn it upside down and shake it to distribute the salt and liquids.

7. Put the jar in the refrigerator and turn it upside down every other day or so.

8. The lemons will be ready in three weeks, when the rinds have softened. When using, rinse your lemon thoroughly in water to remove excess salt. Discard seeds.

Braised Honey Pork Ribs

Braised Honey Pork Ribs 

By Christine's Recipes 
Prep time: 15 mins 
Cook time: 3 hours 
Yield: 3 to 4 serves 

Ingredients:

• 780 gm American ribs
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp grated ginger root
• 2 cloves minced garlic

Sauce:

• 3 Tbsp hoisin sauce (海鮮醬)
• 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp mirin
• 2 strips orange rind, each 2cm x 3cm
• 1½ Tbsp honey
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp Tabasco sauce, optional
• 1½ cup water

Method: 

1. Cut the pork ribs into pieces. Blanch in boiling water to remove blood and any impurities, for about 3 minutes. Drain well. Wipe dry with kitchen papers. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan. Cook the ribs over high-medium heat until lightly brown. Push ribs to the sides of the pan. Add some oil. Saute the ginger and garlic until aromatic. Stir to combine with the ribs well. Transfer into a deep pot or a slow cooker.
3. Pour sauce over the ribs. Place a piece of baking paper on top and cover with a pot lib. Bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 3 hours, or until the ribs are softened, sauce reduced to 1/5 and thickened. Along the way of cooking, occasionally stir the ribs to get them heated evenly. Serve hot with sauce.

Notes：

• To place a piece of baking paper on top of the ribs while cooking, it helps to keep the surface of ribs moist and glossy.
• The secret ingredient to make this tasty dish is Lee Kum Kee’s hoisin sauce and honey.
• Mirin is a Japanese condiment, available at supermarkets.
• To get the best results, use heavy based pot or a slow cooker if you have.
• As the power of every stove and the material of every cooking utensil is very different, the amount of water used will be different too. Top up with some boiling water along the way of cooking if needed.

Read more: http://en.christinesrecipes.com/2013/04/braised-honey-pork-ribs.html#ixzz2qt7tgMjK

Roasted Small potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 pounds small red or white potatoes
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Transfer the potatoes to a sheet pan and spread out into 1 layer. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking in order to ensure even browning. Remove the potatoes from the oven, toss with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot.

Seasame Chicken Receipe

Sesame Oil Chicken Recipe (麻油鸡)

Ingredients:

3 chicken drumsticks (chop into 3-4 pieces each, bone-in)
2-3 inches knob of ginger (peeled and cut into thin strips)
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or Chinese rice wine
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 cup water
3 dashes white pepper powder

Method:

Heat up a wok over high heat and add the sesame oil. When a swirl of smoke appears from the wok and the oil is fully heated, add the ginger strips and stir fry until light brown or aromatic. Add chicken to the wok and stir fry for about 10-15 seconds before adding the soy sauce, oyster sauce, wine, and white pepper powder. Continue to stir-fry until the chicken is 70% cooked. Add water and do a few quick stirs. Cover the wok with the lid and turn the heat to medium to low heat and let the chicken cook for a few minutes or until the sauce thickens and the meat becomes tender. Dish out and serve immediately.

Cook’s Note:

If the sauce dries up, add more water and cook until the chicken reach your desired doneness.

Breakfast crepes ideas

Making Whip Cream

What You Need:

whisk, large bowl, heavy whipping cream, confectioners' or granulated sugar

Follow These Four Easy Steps:

1. 1Cool your cream

   Start with cream straight from the fridge: The colder it is, the easier and faster it’ll be to whip. Pour the cream into your bowl.
   
   Tip: One cup of whipping cream makes about two cups of whipped cream.

2. 2Use a whisk to begin whipping the cream

   Using a whisk, begin whipping with wide strokes, which will get more air into the cream and help fluff it up it faster. Switch directions every so often.

3. 3Add sugar

   When the cream starts to thicken, just before soft peaks form, add sugar and continue to whip. A good rule of thumb is 2 tablespoons of sugar for every cup of cream; adjust the sweetness to your own taste. 
   
   Tip: In a hurry? Powdery confectioners’ sugar dissolves faster.

4. 4Continue whipping and watch for soft peaks

   Continue beating the mixture until soft peaks form. You can whip until the cream makes stiffer peaks if desired, but be careful: You don’t want to turn the mixture to butter.